Choir for sale on ebay

The choir of St Stephen's Church in Bristol has appeared as an item for sale on ebay. 'Venerable Anglican scarlet-robed choral tradition (SATB), of St Stephen's Church, Centre of Bristol. Good condition,' the text reads. 'Reason for sale: The choir have (with extreme sadness) decided that even though they would have liked to have assisted with the future plans for the church, they essentially have no place in the new worship arrangements that will soon be imposed, and that little opportunity for negotiation now exists.'

Over the past few years the choir has sung in guest appearances at: Notre Dame de Paris, Wells Cathedral, Buckfast Abbey, Bristol Cathedral, and St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and produced well reviewed concerts.

Repertoire apparently includes:

Arcadelt
Allegri
Ayleward
Attwood
Bach
Briggs
Bruckner
Bull
Byrd
Darke
Gabrieli
Gibbons
Lassus
Marsh
Mozart
Palestrina
Praetorious
Rose
Rutter
Stanford
Sumsion
Tallis
Taverner
Tye
Viadana
de Victoria
Vierne
Weelkes
(and many more....)

I hope to be speaking to the clergy and choir members later today to find out more!

Comments

[Ian B]

(in fact there were several bids but the vendor cancelled them prior to withdrawing the lot from sale)

[J Hagan]

To correct the previous post the last bid on the item was £26 before it was removed from sale. There were, I believe approximately 9 separate bidders.

[Stehen Clark]

I notice that this item did not actually receive any bids...even though the starting bid was only 50 pence!

[Tony P]

Greetings from the USA. It is sad that a high quality choir was not even considered for the future gathered worship plans of St. Stephen's.

However, I detect an even sadder note in all of this. Could it be that we are often guilty of glorifying the composer, the music, and the musician instead of the One who has given the music? Let's not lose sight of Whose glory it is we are really seeking here. When our perspective is right, I believe we will see both "traditions" finding harmony together, in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[Stephen Clark]

I will be interested to see your follow up, but it seems an all too familiar story.
Having grown up, in and with the English choral tradition, I would have thought it would have gone on for ever. The truth is the 1950s seems very removed from today!
This story's familiarity seems like people on all sides of the fence thinking music is only about one style or the the other. In reality why can't we have the best of both worlds and be a bit more flexible. On both sides

[Musicus Anglicus]

It's much the same for choirs in USA: accept third-rate and inappropriate music (not a Grove Distcionary composer in sight) for an ill-chosen time-slot within the sole remaining Sunday service here -(congregational Eucharist (Mass) in the vernacular, or stay home and suffer. No Matins, no Evensong, so little of musical purpose in being there.

[Dave Rattigan]

The level of puns on this thread is becoming rather bass. Erm, base.

[Don Jon Alano]

I'll bid a quartet. Throw in the cassocks, please.

If haggling were an option, may we have a quarter of the sheet music on hand for a lump sum?

[janis]

I would like to acquire them.

[janis]

I would like to acquire them.

[Dave Rattigan]

I have a feeling they'll sell to more than one bidder, especially if there's a surplice.

[Frog]

Might it go for a song??

[Stephen Marsden]

I'll treble Dave's bid of a tenor.

[Alan Marsh]

We need them here.

[Dave Rattigan]

I'll bid a tenor.